Holly to Bolly: Star Trek actor's parents to sue over his death, hit musical Cats returns to Broadway, and more

newslide Star Trek actor’s parents to sue over his death The lawyer representing the parents of Star Trek actor Anton Yelchin revealed on Monday that they are planning to file a wrongful-death lawsuit against Fiat Chrysler, makers of the Jeep that killed their son. The SUV was part of a global recall of 1.1 million […]

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Star Trek actor’s parents to sue over his death

The lawyer representing the parents of Star Trek actor Anton Yelchin revealed on Monday that they are planning to file a wrongful-death lawsuit against Fiat Chrysler, makers of the Jeep that killed their son. The SUV was part of a global recall of 1.1 million vehicles by the manufacturer in April because the gearshift mechanism had confused drivers, causing the vehicles to roll away unexpectedly. A government investigation into the shifters found 266 crashes that had injured 68 people as of late June. Yelchin’s parents have also filed court documents indicating that he died without a will and left behind an estate worth about US$1.4million (Dh5.14m). Court records filed at Los Angeles Superior Court show Victor and Irina Yelchin want to be named administrators of their son’s estate. The actor died on June 19 when he was crushed by his Jeep Grand Cherokee in the driveway of his home in LA’s Studio City. The papers state Yelchin left behind at least $641,000 in personal property and had $731,000 in equity in his home. The 27-year-old actor played Pavel Chekov in the rebooted Star Trek franchise. The latest film in the franchise, Star Trek Beyond, was partially shot in Dubai. – AP

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Who you gonna call? Shah Rukh Khan

Ghostbusters director Paul Feig says he would love to direct a Bollywood movie. “I am desperate to do a musical,” he says. “I would love to do a Bollywood musical. The way Bollywood musicals, the dance numbers – or items numbers – are shot … I can’t believe how innovative they are and I truly get inspired by Bollywood cinema and hope to do one soon.” Feig had a brush with Indian talent when he directed actress Nargis Fakhri in Spy. He added that his wife, Laurie, is a big Bollywood fan, who loves to revel in the larger-than-life stories. “I am very much acquainted with Bollywood,” he says. “My wife is a Bollywood fanatic. Our Bollywood friends are like, ‘I don’t know about that movie and she knows everything’. Shah Rukh Khan is her hero.” – IANS

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Flat-pack Kanye?

One might think Kanye West had enough on his plate between rapping, producing, designing outfits for his clothing label, taking part in his wife’s Kardashian media circus and stirring up regular storms on Twitter – but now the Gold Digger creator has set his sights on designing items for furniture store Ikea. In an interview with the BBC Radio 1 in the UK, West revealed that he has some great ideas for student flats: “I have to work with Ikea, make furniture for interior design, for architecture,” he said, adding that he would start with “a minimalist apartment inside of a college dorm”. The rapper added: “Yo Ikea, allow Kanye to create, allow him to make this thing because you know what, I want a bed that he makes, I want a chair that he makes”. – The National

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Brexit blow to Mrs Brown film

The first entertainment-­industry casualty of the UK’s Brexit vote has emerged. Mrs Brown’s Boys D’Movie 2 has been delayed as a result of the referendum, in which the British public narrowly voted for the country to leave the European Union, according to Brendan O’Carroll, who created, writes and stars as Agnes “Mammy” Brown in the films, a spin-off from the BBC TV comedy. He told the United Kingdom’s Sun ­newspaper that the drop in the value of the sterling in the volatile post-Brexit market had caused funding problems. “We were planning to do it this year, but the numbers weren’t right,” he said. “The Brexit drop in sterling makes it a lot more expensive for the studio than it would have been previously.” Leading figures in the UK film industry have already warned that Brexit means that funding could become uncertain, not least due to complications with European co-production agreements and an end to EU cultural funding. O’Carroll still hopes to make the film once the Pound stabilises. “The plot and outline are there and ready to go,” he said. – The National

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Green Day return with a Bang Bang

Award-winning pop-punks Green Day will release a new “surprise” single on August 11. Bang Bang will be the band’s first release since 2015’s Christmas single, Xmas Time of Year. Lead singer Billie Joe Armstong had been on social media in recent weeks posting photos of the band in a studio, prompting speculation that they were working on new material. He finally took to Twitter on Monday to announce: “Dear friends! Green Day is putting out a new single called Bang Bang on August 11. Stay tuned for more details.” – The National

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Hit musical Cats returns to Broadway

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s smash-hit musical Cats, based on poet T S Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, has returned to Broadway after 16 years. The revival, starring singer Leona Lewis, had its official opening on Sunday at the Neil Simon Theater. Cats originally debuted in London’s West End in 1981 and arrived on Broadway a year later, racking up 7,485 performances before closing in 2000. “I think you’ll probably find that it’s absolutely the Cats you remember,” said Lloyd Webber. “We’ve condensed a couple of things. There’s one … song in the show I was never particularly keen on myself and that’s gone now, which is a great, great pleasure. We’ve done quite a lot of work and I think we’re quite pleased with it.” The award-winning show has been staged in more than 30 countries and translated into 15 languages. – Reuters